Cedric and Patricia Meisel celebrated their 65th anniversary

Cedric and Patricia Meisel of Loveland celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on June 12.

Cedric, after leaving service in the Navy during WWII, graduated from the University of Nebraska. Patricia attended the University of Omaha, studying journalism.

"His smile made it easy to ask him out," Patricia remembers. Cedric recalls, "I broke a standing date to go swimming with her. Who wouldn't?"

Married in 1948 in Omaha, Neb., they drove to Alaska on the Alcan Highway in search of homestead property, but returned to Omaha daunted by the acres of forest needing to be cleared. They reprised that first trip 50 years later, this time from the comfort of a recreational vehicle.

After more apartments than either could count and a few job changes, the couple founded Country Boy Foods in Fort Collins in 1962.

Cedric designed and built family homes in Fort Collins, Loveland and Chadron, Neb., as well as building the family's cabin on the South St. Vrain, west of Longmont. The touch of vagabond in both of them would lead to travels to other parts of Canada and Mexico, a cruise of Greek islands, a trip to France, Turkey and Italy, and visiting most of the lower 48 states in a recreational vehicle.

Both retired in 1989 to live and sail aboard the two-masted schooner Sundancer, off the California coast, although they sailed as far north as northern Vancouver Island. They also lived in Arizona, California and Nebraska before returning to Loveland in 2011.

These days, Cedric has designed his final deck for both of them and enjoys fishing for walleye and trout. Patricia continues to weave and knit and plant new gardens.

When asked the secret to their long marriage, Cedric replied, "A lot of good luck." Patricia said, "Pure stubbornness. My mother said the marriage wouldn't last six months."

Daughters Chris, Ann, Jan and son-in-law Ken Burns hosted a luncheon for the couple at Jan and Ken's home in Windsor on Saturday, June 15.

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